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As a blogger I am always trying to find ways to make my photographs look more appealing. First impressions are so important, and that means pictures need to stand out. If something doesn’t look enticing, no one is going to want to engage with it, be it food, or any other product.

I recently read an article which was all about the tricks that some food photographers use to make their food look perfect. I was gobsmacked to learn that often, what you think is beautifully edible food isn’t really at all! For example, fruit is sprayed with all sorts of varnishes to make it look shiny. Cereal doesn’t turn to a soggy splodge in a bowl of milk as it would normally, as it isn’t really milk in many photos; it is PVA glue! And did you know that often when you are looking at what you think is a scrumptious scoop of ice cream, it is really coloured mashed potato??? I prefer my photographs to be what they are actually meant to be. No substitutes. No tricks. But I was also aware that my photographs needed something extra, something to make them come alive.

With this in mind I was over the moon when I saw that BACKDROPSBYLUCY were looking for bloggers to try their new backdrops in their photography.

I already owned a backdrop from another company but it was so much of a hassle to set it up that I just managed without it. It was made out of material and was sent folded up in a bag as it was huge, and no matter how much I ironed it the creases from the folds just wouldn’t come out. The material was very thin and floppy, and had to be taped extensively to the wall to keep it in place. And god help you if you spilt anything on it! I used it once and felt so frustrated at the process of setting it up that I vowed I wouldn’t use it again!

The backdrop that BackdropsByLucy sent to me was poles apart from the one I already owned. It arrived rolled up in a thick cardboard tube, which is also then used to store it in when you don’t need it. As soon as I unrolled it I could tell it was fantastic quality.

All of their backdrops are made from thick PVC, which means they are completely waterproof, tearproof, and can be wiped clean very easily. As the PVC is so thick, when you unroll the backdrop it immediately lies flat. No creases, no upturned edges, no hassle. Lucy is a professional photographer, and all of the designs on the backdrops are actual photographs that she has taken herself. I love the range of designs she has. Wood, marble, suede, concrete, chalkboard… too many to list! If you CLICK HERE you can see the full range for yourself. Aren’t they wonderful?

Not counting my last couple of blog posts (which I used my new backdrop in) you will see that previous photographs in my posts featured my very plain magnolia wall background, or my kitchen worktop, or my table. The photographs were the best I thought I could do at that time. Since having my backdrop though the photography side of blogging fills me with a lot more excitement than it used to! I finally feel that my photographs look more professional and their colours are exploding against the backdrop! I have a long way to go still with my photography skills but Lucy’s website is full of tips and if you contact her for any advice she is super helpful. I have learnt so much already.

In fact I was so impressed with the backdrop and the difference it makes that I ordered another one. And I will definitely be ordering more! You can choose to have them in A1 or A2 size, and they have a matt finish so that you don’t get any glare from them. You can use one on it’s own or two together. In the photo below I laid one on my worktop and stood the other against the wall, securing it easily in place with just one bit of tape:

Antique Steel lying flat, Ash Cloud standing up

In the next picture, which is possibly my favourite so far, I just used one backdrop and leant it up the wall so it was half flat and half upright, and it didn’t matter that tomato juice dripped down on to the backdrop as it was so easy to clean:

Antique Steel

The dark backdrops really bring out the colours of the food! Here’s a selection of other photographs I took with these backdrops:

All of my photographs are taken using a smartphone camera, and I never thought I would get results with it that I would be proud of. BACKDROPSBYLUCY has given me a new-found confidence and lots of inspiration to take much better photographs with no tricks!

If you are a blogger, retailer, or photographer, I would highly recommend you start using these backdrops. Top quality at an affordable price. What more could you ask for?

DISCLAIMER: I was sent the Ash Cloud backdrop for free in exchange for a review. This in no way affects my opinions though. All of my views are 100% honest. The fact that I went on to order another one myself just shows how much I think of these backdrops! And you’ll see plenty more that I buy in future posts.